Social media chat reveals wife plotted man’s murder

Chats between both suspects, Sushmita, wife of the deceased, and her alleged paramour Rahul, exposed the suspected murder plot involving the electrocution of the woman’s 36-year-old husband Karan Dev in the Uttam Nagar area of Delhi, police sources said on Sunday.

There were more than 90 messages exchanged between the woman and her lover on the social media platform, Instagram, they said, adding that a probe was underway whether she used the disappearing messages feature to conceal the chats from her family members and in-laws as she was in a relationship for the last two years.

Karan Dev was killed by electrocution allegedly by his wife and her lover in the Uttam Nagar area. The incident came to light on July 13 when a call was made to the PCR from Mata Rooprani Maggo Hospital, reporting the death of Karan.

“Sushmita and her alleged paramour, who is the son of Karan’s uncle, were arrested after Karan’s brother got the mobile phone of Rahul and saw the chats between the two about planning to kill him,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh.

According to preliminary investigations, Sushmita first allegedly drugged Karan by giving him sleeping pills at their residence and waited for him to die. “When Karan did not die, she started chatting and asked Rahul to come home and give him an electric shock,” as per a police source.

Investigation has revealed that the wife reportedly gave him around 15 sleeping pills by mixing it in his food on the night of July 12 and later asked Rahul to come to the residence to help her in administering the electrocution.

“After the murder, Sushmita allegedly rushed to her in-laws’ house nearby, telling them that Karan had collapsed, which prompted them to take him to the hospital. He was brought to the hospital in an unresponsive state and declared dead with the medico-legal case (MLC) citing electrocution as the cause of death,” said the source.

Instagram chats recovered from the accused revealed that they were planning the murder for several days and had already tried to kill him using sleeping pills.

The police said the deceased, Karan Dev, was working in a private company. His wife Sushmita and her brother-in-law Rahul Dev have been arrested in connection with his murder.

Another source, privy to the investigation, said during the checking of Rahul’s phone, the police found more than 90 Instagram messages in which they were openly talking about killing Karan.

In one message, Sushmita wrote: “Itni goliyaan de chuki hoon, fir bhi kuch nahi ho raha… ab current hi dena padega” (I have already given so many sleeping pills, still nothing is happening… now we will have to give electric shock). In another message, Rahul replied – “Uske haath pair tape se baandh dena, phir current lagana” (Tie his hands and legs with tape, then give electric shock).

The chats also showed that they were frustrated because the earlier attempts to kill Karan using tablets had failed. Sushmita also said in one chat – “Kitni der current lagana padega ki woh mare?” (How long do I need to give the shock so that he dies?)

Sources said Sushmita and Rahul were in a relationship for the last two years. Karan’s brother told the police that he already had doubts about Sushmita’s behaviour and her closeness with Rahul. “We are interrogating both of them. Both accused have accepted that they were planning this for many weeks. They also confessed that they had tried to kill him earlier as well,” said the source.

The police said they have recovered the chats, phone data and other evidence. Further investigation is still on. Forensic reports are also awaited, the DCP said.

Delhi